Jewel box



W. L. GROSS Dec. 2 7, 1960 JEWEL BOX Filed March 28, 1957 .5 3 m6 m M M u W United States Patent JEWEL BOX William L. Gross, Great Neck, N.Y., assignor to Bond Street Jewel Case Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 28, 1957, Ser. No. 649,108

3 Claims. (Cl. 312-276) The present invention relates to a jewel box, and more particularly to a jewel box which performs the dual func tion of serving as a portrait holder and as a receptacle for items of jewelry and other valuables.

Jewel boxes, in particular small multitray jewel boxes used by private persons for the storage of their jewelry when the same are not in use should desirably present all of the items of jewelry to view within a single instant, with all of the items of jewelry being exposed to view simultaneously. This permits the wearer of the jewelry to make the best possible selection from her jewelry collection since ready side-by-side comparison may be had.

In view of the aesthetic nature and characteristics of jewelry, it is equally important that a jewel box be aesthetically pleasing, as Well as providing a receptacle for jewels and a means for displaying them as aforesaid.

The present invention has as an object the provision of a jewel box which is of highly pleasing aesthetical appearance, and which may serve as a continuous reminder to the owner thereof of a loved one.

The present invention has as another object the provision of a jewel box which in its closed disposition constitutes a portrait and means for supporting such portrait in attractive display disposition, and which in open disposition constitutes a jewel box which simultaneously displays a plurality of different items of jewelry.

The present invention has as yet another object the provision of a jewel box whose appearance may be varied by the user thereof.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with such embodiment being in open disposition.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure l, but with such embodiment being in closed disposition.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2, and also revealing in phantom line the disposition of the component elements of the embodiment when the same are disposed in open disposition.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view revealing a modified embodiment of the jewel box of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to Figures 1, 2 and 3 the jewel box of the present invention is designated generally by the numeral 16 and comprises a box portion 12. The box portion 12 includes a vertical uninterrupted back 14, a pair of mirror-image sides 16, which sides 16 are perpendicularly disposed thereto, a relatively narrow rectangular top 18 which is disposed generally perpendicular to the back 14 and to sides 16, and a relatively wide rectangular base 20 which is generally parallel to the top 18 and generally perpendicularly disposed in respect to the back 14 and the sides 16. The box portion 12 may be formed from an integral blank, or the back, sides, top and base thereof may be formed of separate elements which are fixedly secured together or otherwise joined. The box portion 12 may be formed from any one of a plurality of materials, such as wood, paperboard, plastic, metal, or the like. Preferably, the interior of box portion 12 is coated or lined with a suitable coating or material so that the box portion 12 assumes the appearance of a jewel box.

The front edges of the sides 16, top 18 and base 20 lie in a plane, which is angularly disposed to the perpendicular. Thus, the front edge 22 of side 16, the front edge 24- of top 18, and the front edge 26 of base 20 are in the illustrated embodiment cut at a minor angle from the plumb perpendicular.

The base 26 may be provided on its underside with a platform 28 for elevating the base 20 and permitting pivotation of the cover portion 30 in the manner set forth below.

The box portion 12 is provided with a cover portion 30 which may be pivotally hinged by means of hinges 32 to the base 20.

The innerface 34 of cover portion 36 is provided with a raised border 36 and an interior rectangular portion 38. As seen particularly in Figure 3, both the border 36 and the interior rectangular portion 38 comprise planar surfaces. When the cover portion 30 is disposed in closed disposition in reference to the box portion 12 as shown in Figure 3, the front edges 22, 24 and 26 of box portion 12 are juxtaposed to and contact the surface of interior rectangular portion 38. The border 36, whose innermost edge may be bevelled, provides a shoulder for preventing the entry of dust or foreign matter into box portion 12.

The outer face 40 of cover portion 30 comprises four mitered strips 42, 44, 46, and 48 disposed along the edges of outer face 46 and constructed and arranged to receive and retain a sheet of glass 50 and an underlying portrait 52, which in most instances will comprise a photograph. The uppermost edge of cover portion 30 may be slotted for the insertion and removal of the glass 59 and the portrait 52.

In the illustrated embodiment a set of three trays 54, 56, and 58 are provided to receive and display the items of jewelry within box portion 12. At least some of the trays, such as trays S4 and 56 are partitioned as by means of respective walls 60 and 62.

The trays 54, 56 and 58 are secured together and anchored to box portion 12 by means of a pair of spaced parallel links 64 and 66 provided at each of the ends of the trays 54, 56 and 53. Each of the links 64, and each of the links 66, is provided at its uppermost end with an offset ear, namely ear 68 in the case of link 64 and ear 70 in the case of link 66. The ears 68 and 70 are secured to the inner faces of sides 16 by respective pivot pins 72 and 74. Each of the links 64 is joined to tray 54 by means of pivot pins 76, and is joined to tray 56 by means of pivot pins 78, and is joined to tray 58 by means of pins 80. Each of the links 66 is joined to tray 34 by means of pivot pins 82, and is joined to tray 56 by means of pivot pins 84, and is joined to tray 58 by means of pivot pins 86.

Each of the links 66 is joined to the interior rectangular portion 38 of cover portion 30 by means of a link 88. Each of the links 38 is pivotally connected to the links 66 by pivot pins 99 and is pivotally connected to anchoring elements 92 provided in the lower portion of interior rectangular portion 38 by means of pivot pins 94.

The operation of the jewel box of the present invention is as follows:

In closed disposition, the jewel box 10 (as seen particularly in Figure 2') comprises a stand and picture frame for the portrait 52. The tilting of the portrait 52 from the vertical presents it to the viewer in the most appealing form.

The pivotation of cover portion 30 on hinges 32 not only opens the jewel box 10 but extends the trays 54, 56 and 58 from their retreated position shown in solid line in Figure 3 to their extended position shown in Figure 1 and in phantom line in Figure 3, in which all of the trays 54, 56 and 58 are simultaneously presented to view, and in which the jewelry contents of the trays 54, 56 and 58 may be entirely observed by the user of the jewel box 10.

The pivotation of cover portion 30 from open disposition to the disposition shown in Figure 2 effects closing of the jewel box 10 with the retreat of the trays 54, 56 and 58 into the jewel box 10.

In the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 4, the jewel box 10a generally resembles jewel box 10 shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and is provided with a similar box portion 12a of which the back 14a, base 20a and platform 28a are illustrated.

The cover portion 30a generally resembles cover portion 30 and is pivoted about hinge 32a. However, in place of link 88, pivot pins 90 and 94 and anchoring elements 92, a link 100 is pivotally secured by means of pivot pin 102 to each of the links 66a intermediate the tray 56a and the tray 54a (not shown).

Cover portion 30a is provided On its inner face with a grooved back plate 104 which serves as a guide for a slide 106 which is pivotally connected by a pivot pin 108 to link 100.

In the embodiment of Figure 4 upon the opening of covor portion 30a the slide 106 moves within the grooved back plate 104 effecting the outward pivotation of the trays 54, 56 and 58.

Other embodiments of the present invention are to be included within the scope hereof. Thus, the cover portion may be circular rather than rectangular in shape, and may be partitioned to provide for a plurality of portraits, etc.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A jewel box comprising an upright container portion, said container portion having a base, a top parallel to said base, a vertical back, and a plurality of vertical sides,

said container portion having a single upright opening defined by the top, sides and base of said container portion, said opening being angularly disposed in respect to the vertical, with the upper portion of said opening as defined by the top being closer to the back than the bottom portion of said openingas defined by the base, with the edges of said sides opposite to said back being angularly disposed to the vertical and converging towards said back from bottom to top, a unitary solid cover portion pivotally secured to said container portion and pivotable as a single unit between a position in which it covers the opening defined by the top, sides and base of said container portion and a position in which it is spaced from said opening, said cover portion having a greater width and a greater height than said container portion so that when said cover portion is disposed over said opening the jewel box presents the outer face of said cover portion to the line of sight juxtaposed to said cover portion and the sides, top, and base are concealed from View, photograph and plate glass retention means on the outer face of said cover portion, said photograph and plate glass retention means includingstrips disposed along the edges of the outer face of said cover portion, the inner edge portions of said strips being spaced from and juxtaposed to the outer face of said cover portion, a plate glass sheet intermediate the inneredge portions of said strips and the outer face of said cover portion, and an opening in I said cover portion wider than said plate glass sheet for permitting insertion and removal of said plate glass sheet.

2. A jewel box in accordance with claim 1 including tray means for supporting and displaying jewelry comprising a plurality of trays superposed above each other, connecting linkage means joining said trays together, linkage means joining said tray means to said sides, and linkage means connecting said connecting linkage means and the inner face of said cover portion, said tray means being pivotable between a position in which it is entirely within said jewel box and a position in which it extends outside of said jewel box, with such pivotation being eifected by the pivotable movement of the cover portion.

3. A jewel box in accordance with claim 1 in which the opening in the cover portion is disposed at the uppermost edge of the cover portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 697,266 McDevitt Apr. 8, 1902 756,911 Tholin Apr. 12, 1904 809,592 Watts Jan. 9, 1906 1,382,704 Wolf June 28, 1921 1,532,146 Lyde Apr. 7, 1925 1,858,539 Dewey May 17, 1932 

